In the original Assassin’s Creed, the line between combatants and civilians was clearly defined. The first game used its lore as an excuse to prevent players from killing random civilians, citing any unendorsed killing as a disruption of prewritten history. In Shadows, the distinction is murkier. And the kills, messier.

I kind of messed up, guys. In assuming that Assassin's Creed Shadows would be like the series' past RPG entries – think the largely inconsequential player decisions in Valhalla and Odyssey, for example – I discovered that it's possible to be such a stubborn, vengeful asshole that recruitable allies refuse to join your cause.

Allies can mean life or death in feudal Japan, so you better learn how to use Allies in Assassin's Creed Shadows.